Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-05-06
RAGING TORRENTS.
MAINE RIVERS HIGHER THAN EVER
BEFORE KNOWN.
BOoms Started and Dams Broken-MT-
lions OF Feet OF Logs Gone Adrift-
Families Compelled TO Leave Their
Hounes.

A dispatch from Orono, Me-, May /, says:
The water in the Penobscot and saltwater
rivers is the highest within the memory Of
the oldest citizens It. has been rising steadi-
ly all day. One house on the banks of the
Saltwater is completely surrounded with
water, and the family has been obliged to
vacate. Others are in nearly the same con-
dition. The railroad track leading to the
lumber mills in Saltwater is in many places
from two TO four feet under
water One of the finest water
mills on tho river owned by L. & j.
Fred Webster is IL inches under water. The
proprietors with workmen are constantly at
work loading and strengthening all its parts
All the booms here are SAFE No extensive
damage has occurred as yet. Judson Briggs
boom at Brownvi lie broke Saturday, letting
l 000, 900 feet of logs go down the river.
A dispatch from Machias says heavy
freshets prevail Mill owners and proprie-
tors of oil river property are apprehensive Of
loss. The heaviest freshets for years ara now
being experienced on the st. Croix to Vera
GU US inclusive. Bridges and crossings have
been swept away and some dams and booms
started. Ifnothing wo Sc results, the saving
season has been set back three weeks.
At Ellsworth booms and wing dams have
been carried away. Stray logs at the rate
of about so an hour have been carried out
into tide water, tut many of them have
been picked up and saved. Yesterday the
Bangor bridge at the head of the falls
started, but was secured and saved This
morning, Brimmer's bridge was swept off,
but was kept from going down stream.
Every river bridge, except the main bridge
near the postoffice, is impossible. All
I,.fJ1 L -, III
to the city from Bangor way is cut off by
reason Of impossible bridges 1t is hoped
the worst is over. There is great washout
on the railroad at Boggy Brook. No trains
or mail have passed since Friday morning,
Carriage roads are in the worst cond ition
known for years.
Advices from Bangor say: The water
continues to rise in the Penobscot river, and
on Sunday night it was at depth of II feet
over the dam, which is foot inches higher
than ever before recorded. No special
damage has been reported, although the
railroad tracks have been covered in some
places land some small washou have oc-
Cured. Logs in tie main booms and mills
still remain secure and it is thought that, if
there is no more rain, the worst is over
Kenduskeag stream has fallen from two to
three feet Owing TO the strong curren5 in
the river, and to possible danger from drift
stuff from up the river steamer Penobscot
which arrived at Brickport this afternoon
did not come up. The train from Bar Har-
Dor due here Friday night arrived at o. Is
o'clock tonight. The Pullman train for
Boston tonight goes via Augusta the first
on that line since Saturday morning.
A bridge at Kingman is reported to have
been carried away. The damage in this
vicinity by the freshet will be much less than
was at first feared.
An Augusta dispatch says: Bright
weather and cool northwest wiuds have re-
| duced the river six feet and all danger is
now over. Over q million feet of logs have
gone by the city, nearly all of which will be
lost. Lumbermen will be put to much ex-
pense in removing logs from shores and
lowIands where they have been stranded by
the flood. Tbs loss on the Kennebec to
! lumber and property owners along its banks
Is estimated by gool judges TO be $50, 600.
! A Saco dispatch says that the south end of
! Young Bros ice house gave way and fell
into the river, Three families moved from
Gooch street, B Biddeford, for fear the founda-
tions of their houses would give way. A
further rise of the river will seriously affect
| property there.